HERI’s Fredrick Kyalo Manthi inducted to National Academy of Sciences

HERI Research Associate Fredrick Kyalo Manthi was inducted to the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC in April. A palaeontologist and Director of Antiquities, Sites, and Monuments at the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi, Manthi joins the academy as an international member.

"This honor highlights the importance of science to foster a better understanding of the world, improve the quality of life, think critically to solve problems, and address global challenges," said Leakey Foundation President Jeanne Newman in a statement.

Manthi was inducted alongside Jenny Tung, Associate Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University and Peter Ungar, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the University of Arkansas.

Mark of excellence

Membership with the National Academy of Sciences is a widely accepted mark of excellence in science recognises scientists who have made outstanding and ongoing contributions to original research. 

There are currently 2,700 members of the body, and 500 international members, of which approximately 200 have received Nobel prizes. Manthi is the only African scientist elected as an international member in 2024 and just the second Kenyan ever to receive this recognition.

“This recognition is an important professional milestone, but one that can also draw attention to the powerful role African scientists can play in human evolution research and driving leadership in scientific excellence,” says Manthi.

East African paleontology

Manthi is a leading expert in East African paleontology. Most notably, he co-founded the West Turkana Paleo Project, which focuses on recovering and studying Plio-Pleistocene fossils in order to contribute to our understanding of human evolution and the environmental contexts in which this happened.

It was in West Turkana that he identified the braincase of a 1.55-million-year-old Homo erectus along with the jawbone of an older Homo habilis. The finds suggested both species had co-existed for nearly half a million years, rather than evolving in a linear fashion, and contributed to significant shifts in the discipline.

In addition to his role at the National Museums of Kenya, Manthi is an adjunct professor in the Department of Geology & Geophysics at the University of Utah.